This is the latest Range Rover Sport, the second generation of Land Rover's best U.S. seller. It had its world debut at the New York auto show
back in April. It was shown first in NYC because Land Rover says it
sells more Range Rover Sports in the metro NY area than anywhere else in
the world.
The car is new top to bottom and is, according
to Land Rover, faster, more agile and more refined thanks in part to it
being a whopping 800 pounds lighter. The shape is less boxy than the
outgoing Sport with its flat sides and thin pillars, but the new vehicle
is a bit lower, 2.5 inches longer (still 6 inches shorter than the new Range Rover
-- the two trucks were developed together), and the overall shape is
smoother. The front and rear overhangs are slightly shorter and the
truck is 2 inches wider. There are more than a few Evoque styling cues
to the new Sport and it moves from body on frame to an aluminum unibody,
from where most of the weight saving comes.
There are two
supercharged engines available: a 3.0-liter V6 with 340 hp and 332
lb-ft of torque and a 5.0-liter V8 producing 510 hp and 461 lb-ft. Both
engines are paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The interior
is redone and now offers an optional third row suitable for kids. Adults
will fit back there too, but a short trip is recommended.
What's It Like To Drive?
We
spent a day and a half in the UK, a couple hours northwest of London,
driving both the V6 and V8 Sport. You climb up into the Sport's
luxurious helm and into a cabin much like the Range Rover's, except the
Sport seats have better side bolsters, and the rotary gear selector is
tossed in favor of a more traditional stick similar to the one in the Jaguar F-Type (LR thinks that's more sporty).
The
blown V6 model (LR figures 75 percent will go for the six) will hit 60
mph in 6.9 seconds and the V8 in five flat, so either way it's a fast
SUV. The suspension (double wishbones in front, multilink in the rear
with air springs at all four corners) has plenty of travel for
offroading. We ran it over rocks and mud and through little lakes and it
never missed a beat.
The V6's on-road body control is
impressive too -- there's a lot less roll than before but the ride isn't
harsh. If you thought the outgoing Sport was too heavy and lumbering,
this car will impress you. The terrain response control now has an auto
mode; it uses probability estimators and adjusts the suspension, engine,
transmission and center differential to optimize the setup for
conditions.
On twisty two lanes the body roll is reduced
but not at the expense of ride quality – UK potholes were never really
jarring. Detroit's? We'll have to wait and see.
The
steering felt nicely weighted and accurate -- the car just sliced its
way smoothly through corners, paved or otherwise. None of that surprised
us. What did surprise were the gains in refinement: The cabin (now with
4.7 inches more rear seat room) was whisper quiet. The big buckets felt
comfortable on and off road and the view out commanding. The steering
felt much quicker and more responsive than before, with good weighting
and enough feel for both on- and off-road maneuvers.
We
liked the V6 more and more as the day wore on, and then on the second
day we got in the blown V8 First things first: We dialed up the Dynamic
mode, tuned for faster road driving -- it firms the suspension, adds
some weight to the steering and sends additional torque to the rear
wheels. Punch the accelerator and once the V8 gets above 3000 rpm, the
461 lb ft of torque made the car more of a rocket, and the Dynamic mode
tightened up the body motions and steering more, and they weren't bad to
begin with. It goes through corners like a much lighter car. The
Dynamic mode's throttle response is quicker and the 8-speed auto is
quicker to down- and upshift.
Words like “hot hatch” and “sports car” were used throughout the day – how often do you hear that of a 4700 pound SUV?
Do I Want One?
Absolutely.
Whether you are a new or a returning customer you'll be impressed with
the levels of refinement, increased quality level inside and much
sportier overall performance in the new Range Rover Sport. Prices start
at $63,500 and run up to $93,295, including destination; look for it on
sale in late August.
2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport V6
On Sale: August
Base Price: $63,500
Drivetrain: 3.0 liter supercharged V6, 340 hp, 332 lb-ft, awd, eight-speed automatic transmission
Curb Weight: 4,727 lbs
0-60 mph: 6.9 secs (mfr. claim)
Fuel Economy (EPA City/Hwy/Combined): TBD
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